Flock applying apparatus



March 26,

W. B. THOMPSON FLOCK APPLYING APPARATUS Filed March 11, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fun March 26, 1940. w. B. THOMPSON FLOCK APPLYING APPARATUS Filed March 11, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 3 W 3 M i i 7 a \w knlllrlvfl March 26, 1940. w. B. THOMPSON FLOCK APPLYING APPARATUS.

Filed March 11, 1956 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 11 d$ibrzzqg W. B. THOMPSON FLOCK APPLYING APPARATUS Filed March 11, 1936 March 26, 1940.

. 7 I'll" If March 26, 1940. w. B. THOMPSON v v 8 FLOCK APPLYING APPARATUS v Filed March 11, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Mar. 26, 1940 PATENT] OFFICE FLocK APPLY NG APPARATUS Wayne B. Thompsonrwinchester, Mass., -a.sslgnor to Spray Engineering Company, Somerville, Mas s a corporation-of Massachusetts Application March 11,

9 Claims.

The present invention relates to apparatus for applying material such as powder, flock, comminuted or finely divided solid material, or the like.

It has been proposed heretofore to provide such apparatus, but as a practical matter there have been several disadvantages with the types of apparatus used. In many commercial forms of flock appliers, for example, the flock is held in a container to which a motive agent, such as air under pressure, is supplied, the compressed air entraining the flock and causing the discharge thereof from a suitable nozzle or outlet from which the air escapes. While this arrangement is satisfactory in certain respects, the air compressor used with it is costly, and causes the apparatus as a whole to be expensive. But the use of air compressorshas a further disadvantage in that it is necessary that the flock containers be closed tanks, and this in turn limits the supply of flock to the size of the container and requires a stoppage of the applying operation every time the supply of flock in the container is exhausted and is to be replenished.

Stated in another way, with apparatus at present devised using compressed air as a motive agent,

a continuous supply of flock, and therefore a continuous operation of the apparatus, are impracticable. A third disadvantage of flock appliers using compressed air as a motive agent lies in the difiiculty of regulating as desired the amount of flock discharged. The reason for this is that the amount of discharge is regulated by regulating the pressure of the motive agent,

6 and it is frequently impossible to vary the pressure conveniently or with the speed that the varying conditions of a given applying job require.

It is the principal object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for applying material of the type stated which eliminates the need for, and the expense of, an air compressor, which may be operated continuously, and which may be instantly and easily regulated to vary the amount of material applied.

To the accomplishment of this object and of such others as may hereinafter appear, the various features of the present invention reside in certain devices, constructions, combinations, and arrangements of parts fully set forth hereinafter and then pointed out broadly and in detail in the appended claims, possessing advantages which will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. I

The various features of the present invention 1936, Serial No. 68,265

will be readily understood from an inspection of the accompanying drawings, illustrating the best form of the invention at present known to the inventor, in which Figure 1 is a view in plan of the apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a view in front elevation of the apparatus;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view in right side elevation, partly in section, taken along the line 3-3 of Fig-1} I Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view in right side elevation, partly in-section, taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail .view in rear elevation, partly in section, taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detailview, partly in section, taken along the lines 6-6 of Fig. 4;

Fig. '7 is an enlarged detail view, partly in section, taken along the line 1-1 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail view, partly in section, taken along the line 8-8 of Fig. 7.

The illustrated embodiment of the present invention is provided with a frame comprising uprights It (Figs. 2, 3, and 4) secured at their bottoms to frame members I l forming a base and also secured intermediate their ends to front and rear horizontal frame members l2. The uprights ill form a support for a container l3 comprising an upper or box portion it open at its top and bottom and a lower or hopper portion the top-of which is open and forms a continuation of the bottom of the box M. The side walls it of the hopper l5 depend vertically, as shown in Fig. 5,-while the front and rear walls' El and i8, respectively, converge downwardly and merge in a rounded bottom l9, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The container 63 is closed at its top by a removable cover 20 which has a loose fit so that the interior of the container is under atmospheric pressure.

The container 93 receives the material to be applied, such as powder, flock, or any desired comminuted or finely divided solid material. It is well known to commercial users of apparatus' for applying such material by the entraining action of an air current that the material must be constantly stirred or agitated within the container' if the air current is to entrain it continuously and if a proper discharge of the material is to be effected. While this is true of material held in a closed container under greater than atmospheric pressure, it is also true of material held in a container under only atmospheric pressure. Stated in another way, gravity alone cannot'be relied upon to insure the con- ,therealong successively -point adjacent the curved bottom 19.

tinuous and even flow of finely divided solid matter from a relatively small outlet at the bottom, for example, of a hopper.

As will be explained hereinafter. it is intended that the material in the container l3 pass out of the bottom of the hopper i5, and to insure that this takes place in an even and continuous manner the container I9 is provided with various means for agitating the material. The box I 4 is provided with a horizontal shaft 2i (Figs. 2, 4, and 5) journaled on the front and rear walls of the box and provided with four agitators 22. As shown in Fig. 4, each of the agitators 22 is roughly T-shaped and comprises an arm one end of which is fixed on the shaft .2I and the other or free end of which is provided with a horizontal cross-piece 29. The agitators 22 are arranged along the shaft 2| successively 90 degrees apart throughout an arc of .360 degrees,

and the downgoing or leading side of each cross-' piece 23 is preferably drawn into an edge. as indicated. As shown in Fig. 4 the length of each agitator arm is only slightly less than half the distance across the box l4, with the result that rotation of the shaft 2i insures the maximum agitation of the material within the box. A suitable handle 24 fixed on the end of the shaft 2i which is journaled on the-front wall of the box l4 permits manual rotation of the shaft.

In order to agitate the material in the hopper l5, the hopper is provided with a series of horizontal shafts 25 the opposite ends of which are journaled on the side walls l6. Referring again to Figs, 4 and 5, the shafts 25 comprise three groupsan upper group of three adjacent the top of the hopper l5,.a lower group of one above the rounded bottom i9'and below the central shaft of the first group, and an intermediate roup of two below the first and second and the second and third shafts, respectively, of the first group and above and at the opposite sides of the single lower shaft. Each shaft 25 is provided with three agitators 26 similar in const'ruction to the agitators 22. That is to say, each agitator 26 comprises an arm one end of which is fixed on its shaft 25 and the other or free end of which is .provided with a horizontal cross-piece 21 the down-going or leading side of which is preferably drawn into an edge. The agitators -28 for each shaft 25 are arranged 120 degrees apart throughout an arc of 360 degrees. Since there are six shafts 25 in all and since there are three agitators 26 on'each shaft, the illustrated hopper I5 is thus provided with 18 agitators which considered together extend from one side wall l6 to the other, from the front wall I! to the rear wall It, and from the top of the hopper to a It will be apparent that rotation of the agitators 25 causes the material in the hopper IE to be thoroughly stirred up.

- may be, so.that the shafts 25 do not all rotate in the same direction. A gear 30 (Figs. 3, 5, and

'1) also meshes with the"impress-stanzas.

the purpose of this gearli being explained later. One of the shafts 25 of the intermediate group of shafts is provided on its left hand end (right hand end, viewing Fig. 5) with a pulley 2| fast thereon which is caused to rotate by means of a belt 22 driven by an electric motor 22 (Figs. 2 and 3)" suitably mounted on a panel 24 secured to the frame. With this construction the rotative motion supplied by the motor is transferred to the chain. 29 through the belt 22 and the pulley 3|, and the gears 29 and 29 are caused to rotate simultaneously. To take up any loose play in the chain 29, an idler gear 25 meshing with the chain is mounted on a stubshaft adjustably journaled on the adjacent wall of the hopper. motor 33 is provided with a switch 99 conven: iently mounted on a frame member I2 and with the usual cord having a plug 21 for connection to some source of electrical energy (not shown). The gears 29. 30, and 25 and the chain 29 are concealed by a safety cover 99 (Figs. 1, 2, and 3) secured to the adjacent wall it of the hopper, and above the horizontal frame'members I2 the pulley 2| and the belt- 22 are concealed by a safety cover 39 secured to the adjacent wall of the hopper.

The construction so far described'provides a container I2 for the material to be applied and a plurality of manually and power actuated agitators 22 and 25, the latter insuring that the material in the container is continually and thoroughly stirred up. In order to provide for the transfer of the material from the container It, the. rounded bottom I! is provided at the base ofthe front hopper wall II with a horizontal slot 40 (Figs. 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8) through which the material may pass. The slot 40 need not extend across the full width of the hopper I5, and is located centrally of the base of the hopper wall l1.

In order to insure the positive transfer of material from within the hopper l5 ,into the slot 40, the present invention contemplates the provision of means for driving or sweeping the material across and. into the slot. To this end a short shaft 4i (Figs. 5 and '7) is joumaled at the .base of the right hand hopper wall l5 (left hand, viewing Figs. 5 and '7). One end of the shaft 4| extends outside the hopper l5 and the gear 39 referred to above is fixed thereto. The opposite end of the shaft 4| extends interiorly of the hopper l5 and is provided with an enarged end 42 having a socket in which one end of a brush rod 43 is fixed. -The brush rod 43 is provided with bristle clusters 44 of such length The.

and the face of the hopper wall I! about the slot 49. Since the rod 42 is rotated by rotation of the gear 99 which in turn is actuated by the endless chain 29, it will be seen that the rod 43 and the bristle clusters 44 rotate with the agitators 29 and further agitate the flock and sweep it across and into the mouth of the slot 40.

In end view the bristle clusters 44 give the brush the appearance shown in Figs. 4 and 8, but as a matter of fact, viewing Figs. 5 and "I, it will be seen that the bristle clusters trace a reverse helical course around the rod 43 from the center line thereof in the direction of its opposite ends. Stated in another way, the helix formed by the bristle clusters between one end of the rod 42 and that cluster 45 which is'intermediate the ends of the rod curves about the rod in one direction, while the helix formed by the bristle clusters between the opposite endof the rod and the intermediate cluster curves about the rod 43 in the opposite direction. With this construction, the rotating bristle clusters act as a sort of screw, drawing the material from the sides of the hopper inwardly towards the center thereof along the wall [1 and towards the slot 40.

In the foregoing construction the material in the container- I 3 is under atmospheric pressure, and within the hopper l5 the material is continually kept in motion by the agitators 22 and 26. As the material thus has no opportunity to pack into amass, the bristles 44 and 45 of the brush continually move in moving particles of material and as a consequence continually sweep those particles across and into the slot 40.

The material thus driven into the slot 46 is received by a horizontal tube or conduit 46 (Figs. 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, and 8) extending across the base of the front hopper wall I1. The tube 46 is supported adjacent its opposite ends by split clamps each of which comprises a lug 41 (best shown in Fig.8) formed on the wall l1, and a cover 48 bolted to the lug 41. As shown in Figs. 3, 4, '7, and 8, the adjacent faces of the lug 41 and the cover 48 present a circular opening larger in diameter than that of the tube 46. The cover 48 is provided with set screws 49 which hold the tube 46 in abutment with the hopper wall l1 so as to cover the slot 40. This diametric difierence permits the use of tubes 46 of differ-.-

ent capacities, the" set screws 49 functioning to maintain the tube in abutment with the hopper wall regardless of the size of the tube.

Referring nowparticularly to Figs. 5, 6, '7, and 8, theportion of the tube 46 covering the slot 40 is provided with a pair of spaced horizontal slots 50 and 5| which maybe aligned with the slot 40. Each slot 50 and 5| and'the associated portion of the slot 46 thus formtogether a passage into the tube 46 for the material swept from the hopper l5 into the slot 46 by the brush 42-43.

The present invention contemplates that the material entering the tube '46 be air-entrained and thus be discharged from the apparatus through a suitable applying'means. To this end, the central portion of the tube 46 opposite the portion thereof abutting the hopper wall 11 is provided with an opening 52 (Figs. 2 and '7), and intersectingly of the opening the tube 46 is provided with a circular transverse partition 53. The partition 53 thus divides the tube 46 into two parts, the slot 50 and one half of the opening 52 being located in one half of the tube 46 and the slot 5| and the other half of the opening 52 being located in the other half of the tube. Each half of the opening 52 has an area substantially the same as the internal cross sectional area of the tube.

The opposite ends of the tube 46 form outlets connected by means of suitable nipples60 and 6|,

respectively, to lengths of tubing 62 and 63, the free end of each of which is. provided with a nozzle..64. I

By reason of this construction, viewing Figs. 2'

and 6,--it will be seen-that when the exhaust ,blower 56, for example, is in operation, a condi- .1

tion of unbalanced air pressure is established within the tube 46 between the portion of the opening 52 to the left of the partition 53 and the left hand end of the tube 46, the air entering the opening 52 from the atmosphere and moving in a current towards the left hand end of the tube. The entraining action of acurrent of air upon flock, powder, etc. in its path being well known, it will be seen that any material which enters the left hand half of the tube 46 through the slots 40 and 50 is entrained by the air current set up by the blower 56 and is drawn through the left hand part of the tube .46, the tubing 62, and its discharge nozzle 64. Precisely the same operation takes place to the right of the partition 53, viewing Figs. 2 and 6, when the fan 51 is in operation, that is, any material which enters the right hand-half of the tube 46 through the slots 40 and 5| is entrained by the air current set up by the blower 51 and is drawn through the right hand half of the tube 46, the tubing 63, and its discharge nozzle 64. By reason of the partition 53, neither blower has any effect on thematerial on the opposite side of the partition, and the blowers may be used independently of each other or simultaneously. Stated in another way, the partition divides the tube 46 into two parts or conduits, and each conduit has its own associated apparatus for effecting the discharge of the material therefrom.

Since it is desirable that the amount of material discharged from either or both halves of the tube 46 be regulated and varied as desired, the present invention contemplates the employment of means for regulating the amount of material admitted into the tube 46 through'the slots 56- and 5|. To this end the tube 46 is provided interiorly with a sleeve 65 (Figs. 6, 7, and 8) located on one side of the partition 53 and associated the fans 56 and 51 are in operation. In Figs. 6

and 7 the sleeve 65 is shown closing the slot 50 so as to prevent the passage of material into the left hand half of the tube 46, while the sleeve 66 is shown in such position that the slot 5| is about half uncovered.

In order to slide the sleeve 65 in the tube 46, the sleeve is provided, (Figs. 2 and 6) with a depending lug 61 which fits and extends through a longitudinal slot 66 formed in the bottom of the left half of the tube 46. The ends of the slot 68 form abutments for the opposite. ends, respectively, of the lug 61, the slot being of such length that when the right hand ends of the lug and the slot abut, as in Fig.6, the sleeve 65 covers the slot 56, and when the left hand ends of the lug and the slot 68 abut, the slot 56. is completely uncovered. The sleeve 65 is made suiiiciently long so that when the slot 56 is closed by the sleeve, the slot 68 is also closed thereby. It will-be appreciated, however, that by reason of this construction when the slot 50 is uncovered to any extent by, the sleeve, the :slot 68 is correspondingly uncovered.

As a consequence ,air may enter the vopen'slot 68 from the-atmosphere ,when the blower 56 is in left hand portion of the opening 52. The slot 68 and -the left hand portion of the opening 52 thus operation for the samereason that air enters the together comprise an air inlet for the left hand half of the tube 46.

The sleeve 66 is provided with a depending lug 69, like the lug 61, which is received by a slot I6, like the slot 68, positioned in a complementary position to the slot 68 so that a movement to the left or right of the lug 69 and the sleeve 66 has the same result for the slots 5| and 16 that movement of the lug 61 and the sleeve 65 to the right or left has for the slots 56 and 68.

Each sleeve is moved by its own moving means independently of the other, and since these moving means are of corresponding construction, only one need be described. Referring to Figs. 2, 3, and 6 the lug 69 is pivotally and slidably connected to the upper yoked arm of a bell-crank lever II which is fast on a horizontal shaft 12 journaled in brackets 13 secured to the right hand frame members H). The other arm of the bellcrank lever 1| is pivotally secured to the upper end of a link 14 the lower end of which is pivotally secured to one end of a lever I5. The other end of the lever 15 is fast on a rock-shaft l6 journaled at the lower ends of the frame members l6. As'shown in Fig. 3, one end of the rockshaft 16 extends through its associated frame member W, and is secured to a collar 11 formed on one end of a treadle lever 18 which extends at the side of the apparatus and is provided with a pedal 19. With thisconstruction, viewing Figs. 2 and 6, it will be seen that when the pedal I9 is depressed, the rock-shaft 16 moves the lever 15 and the link 14 downwardly, which in turn cause the upper arm of the bell-crank lever 12 to move the lug 66 and therefore the sleeve 66 to the right so that the slots 5| and I6 are uncovered.

In order to retract the pedal 19 from its depressed position, that is, in order to maintain the pedal 19 normally elevated and therefore maintain the valve formed by the sleeve 66 and the slot 5| normally closed, one end of a coil spring 66 is secured to the treadle lever 18, and the other end of the spring is secured to a horizontal frame member l2. Augmenting the eifect of the coil spring 86 is a second coil spring 8|, one end of which is secured to the bell-crank lever H and the other end of which is secured to a bracket 82 upstanding on a strut 83 extending between the frame members l2. With this construction the two springs 86 and 8| effectively offset any loose play in the parts between the lug 69 and the pedal 79 and thus insure that the slots 5| and 16 are normally covered by the sleeve 66.

Since the sleeve 65 is moved to the left to uncover the slots 56 and 68, the apparatus for moving the sleeve 65 is conveniently located at the left of the machine, the various parts having the same construction as those named for moving the sleeve 66 and maintaining it in a position of closure, and functioning in the same way.

In order to unload the container l3 of any unused material that may be in it, the lower portion of the rear wall l8 of the hopper l5 is provided with an opening 84 (Figs. 4 and 8) normally closed by a removable panel 85, and associated with the opening 84 is a chute 86.

In using the illustrated embodiment of the present invention, the container I3 is filled with the material to be applied and the cover 26 put in place to protect the material from foreign matter which may be in the atmosphere. The material extends from the top to the bottom of the container, burying, as it were, the agitators 22 and 26 and the brush 4243. No material can pass into either half of the tube 46 since the slots 56 and 5| are closed by the sleeves 65 v and 66, respectively, which are held in position by reason, ultimately, of the springs 86 and 8|.

'The switch 36 is then turned on, causing the motor 33 to be actuated and to transfer its rotary motion' to the shafts 25, the agitators 26, and

brush 42-43. In addition, the material in the bottom of the hopper I5 is driven and swept over and into the slot 46 where it is stopped by the sleeves 65 .and 66. The operative then sets the blower 56, for example, into operation thereby establishing a condition of unbalanced air pressure between the portion of the opening 52 leading into the left half of the tube 46 on one hand and the associated end of the tube on the other hand, or more accurately, the nozzle 64, since the left half of the tube 46, the nipple 54, the fan 56, the tubing 62, and the nozle 64 therefor together form a conduit. This condition of unbalanced air pressure thus sets up an air current within the-left half of the tube 46 travelling in the direction of the nozzle 64.

The apparatus is thus in readiness to apply the material in the container l3. To effect application the operative depresses the pedal 19' associated with the sleeve 65, whereupon the sleeve is moved to the left, viewing Figs. 2 and 6, the extent of this sleeve movement depending upon the extent to which the pedal I6 is depressed. Stated in another way, if only a light or small discharge of material is desired, the pedal is only slightly depressed, thereby causing thesleeve 65 to uncover theslot 56 only part way. The material in the hopper I5 is driven by the brush 42-43 into the now partially opened slot 56 from which it passes into the left half of the tube 46. As soon as the material enters the tube 46 it is entrained by the air current therein and is discharged from the nozzle 64 by the air issuing therefrom. Should it be desired to discharge a greater quantity of flock, the pedal 18 is depressed to a greater extent,-thereby causing the sleeve 65 to uncover more of the slot 56 and thus .permitting more material to be driven into the tube 46. By giving the slot 56 suflicientsize so that when fully uncovered the maximum amount of material desired may be discharged, it will be seen that a proper depressing of the pedal 19 causes any desired amount of material to enter the tube 46 and hence causes any desired amount of material to be discharged from the tube 46, that is, from the nozzle 64 associated with the blower 56. Since the agitators 26 are continuously inmotion, the material in the hopper I5 is continuously stirred up and has no chance to pack into a mass and cease flowing downwardly. As a consequence, the rotating brush 42-43 is continuously supplied'with material which it continuously feeds to the slot 46. So long as the operative keeps the pedal 19 depressed as desired, there is a continuous discharge of material, and since the sleeve 65 responds to any movement of the pedal 19, the amount of material entering the tube 46 and discharged from the nozzle 64 may be varied and regulated instantly. To stop the discharge of material the operative merely removes his foot from the pedal 19, whereupon the springs 86 and 8| cause the sleeve 65 to close of! the slot 56 and prevent the further transfer of material from the hopper I 6 into the the corresponding slot 16 in Fig. 6), air will enter the tube 46 by way of the slot 68 just as air enters the opening 52, and'for the same reason, namely, the condition of unbalanced air pressure established by the blower 56. It was also stated above that the area of the portion of the opening 52 associated with either side of the partition 53 is substantially the same as the cross sectional area of the tube 46. By reason of this construction when the blower 56 is in operation with the sleeve 65 closing the slot 56, only air is passing through thel'eft half of the tube 46, and there is no resistance to its passage since the opening portion 52 is substantially the same size as the cross sectional area of |the tube. When, however, the sleeve 65 is opened, the material entering the tube 46 cuts down the space which the air therein can occupy, and hence forms a resistance to the passage through the tube 46 of the air admitted through the opening 52. The greater the amount of material admitted to the tube the greater the'resistance offered by the material to the incoming air. It will at once be seen that the direct and immediate result of this situation is to cut down the velocity or the air current within the tube 46.

The opening of the slot 68 as the sleeve 65 is withdrawn from the slot 50 counteracts and offsets this velocity reduction. Stated in another way, although the flock entering the tube 46 offers a resistance to the air entering the opening 52, the opened slot 68 functions to supply the tube 46 with additional air to overcome the resistance offered by the material. Since the slots 58 and 68 are opened to the same extent simultaneously by the sleeve 65, the greater the amount of material admitted into the tube 46, the greater the amount of air admitted into the tube 46 also.

- The uncovering of the slot 68 by the sleeve 65 thus serves to vary the size of the air inlet formed by the slot 68 and the inlet 52, that is, serves to vary the amount of air entering the inlet, and this air variance occurs as the amount of material entering the tube is varied.

The above description of the operation of the apparatus applies to the discharge of material from the lefthalf of the tube 46, but in view of the above described structure it will be seen that this description of operation applies also to the discharge of material from the right half of the tube 46. While an operative is depressing the left hand pedal 19 and is discharging material through the conduit associated with the fan 56, another operative may simultaneously actuate the fan 51 and effect the discharge of material.

through .the other conduit by depressing the right hand pedal 19. Material may also be discharged in this way when the fan 56 is not in operation.

In view of the foregoing, it will be seen that the illustrated embodiment of the present invention is a marked improvement over apparatus employing compressed air as a motive agent. No air compressing apparatus is utilized, and since exhaust fans are relatively inexpensive as compared to the cost of air compressors, the illustrated embodiment of .the present invention thus as a motive agent.

eliminates a large item of cost involved in applying apparatus of the type using compressed air As a further point, .the amount of material discharge by either nozzle 64 can be easily and instantly regulated by merely shifting the position of the associated pedal 19, and. this involves no changing of the speed of the fan. As a third point, the applicationof material is continuous. Since the container 13 is under only atmospheric pressure, the apparatus continues in operation even when the cover 20 is removed, and as the material within the container diminishes in amount, more can be poured into the box 14 as often as needed during the continued operation of the apparatus. Although the agitators 22 in the box M are manually operated, it will be apparent that so far as mere agitation of the box contents is concerned, the agitators 22 might be driven continuously like the agitators 26. Manual operation for the agitators 22 is preferred, however, since lfthey were continuously in motion, material poured into the box l4 during the continued operation of the apparatus might be deflected by the moving agitators 22 and spilled outside.

Nothing herein explained is to be interpreted as limiting the various features of the present invention in the scope of its application to use in connection with the particular apparatus orthe particular mode'of operation or both'selected for purposes of illustration and explanation. While the particulars of construction herein set forth are well suited to one mechanical form of the invention and to the use to which it is put, it is not limited to this use, nor to these details of construction, nor to the conjoint use of all its features, nor is it to be understood that these pariculars are essential since they may be modified within the skill of the artisan without departing from the true scope of the actual invention, characterizing features of which are set forth in the following claims by the intentional use of generic terms and expressions inclusive of various modifications.

What isclaimed as new, is:

1. In an apparatus for applying-material such as powder or flock, the combination with a container for the material, a conduit provided with conduit, said air inlet and said passage being cated in said conduit portion, means in the container for transferring material therefrom to the conduit portions by way of the passage, and means for creating a condition of unbalanced air pressure between the inlet and the outlet of the conduit to cause atmospheric air to enter the inlet and travel in a material-entraining current within the conduit and out the outlet, of means including an element through which the material flows after reaching the conduit portion for varying the amount of material transferred to the conduit duringthe continuedoperation at a giv-' en rate of the material transferring means.

2. In an apparatus for applying material such as powder or flock, the combination with a container for the material, a conduit communicating with the container and provided with a latthe conduit with material from the container, and means for creating a condition of unbalanced air p ressure between the inlet and the outlet of the conduit to cause atmospheric air to eral air inlet and an outlet, means for supplying with material from the container, means for creating a condition of unbalanced air pressure between the inlet and the outlet of the conduit to cause atmospheric air to enter the inlet and travel in a material-entraining current within the conduit and out the outlet, and means including an element through which the material flows after reaching the conduit for varying the amount of material supplied to the conduit, of means for varying the amount of air entering the conduit during the continued operation at a given rate of the means for creating the condition of unbalanced air pressure.

4. In an apparatus for applying material such as powder or flock, the combination with a container for the material, a conduit communicating with the container and provided withan air inlet and an outlet, means for supplying the conduit with material from the container, and means for creating a condition of unbalancedair pressure between the inlet and the outlet of the conduit to' cause atmospheric air to enter the inlet and travel in a material-entraining current within the conduit and out the outlet, of means including an element through which the material flows after reaching the conduit for simultaneously varying the amount of material supplied to the conduit and the amount of air entering the conduit during the continued operation at a given rate of the means for creating the condition of unbalanced air pressure.

5. In an apparatus for applying material such as powder or flock, the combination with a container for the material, a conduit communicating with the container and provided with a lateral air inlet and an outlet, said inlet being normally at least as large as the internal cross sectional area of the conduit, means for-supplying the conduit with material from the containen'and means for creating a condition of unbalanced air pressure between the inlet and the outlet of the conduit to cause atmospheric air to enter the inlet and travel in a material-entraining current within the conduit and out of the outlet, of means including a member located in the conduit and reciprocable lengthwise for increasing the eflective size of the inlet.

6. In an apparatus for applying material such as powder or flock, the combination with a container for the material, a conduit provided with an air inlet, an outlet, and a passage communieating with the container, means in the container for transferring material thereirom to the conduit by way of the passage, and means for creating a condition of unbalanced air pressure between the inlet .and the outlet of the conduit to cause atmospheric air to enter the inlet and travel in a material-entraining current within the conduit and out the outlet, of a single means located in the conduit for simultaneously varying the eflfective size of the passage and the effective size of the inlet.

'7. In an apparatus for applying material such as powder or flock, the combination with a container for the material, a conduit provided with an air inlet, an outlet, and a. passage communieating with the container, means for transferring material to the conduit by way of the passage, means including a member located within the conduit and reciprocable lengthwise for .normally covering the passage, and means for moving the covering means to uncover the passage and permit the transfer of material to the conduit, of

means for creating a condition of unbalanced air pressure between the inlet and the outlet of the conduit to cause atmospheric air to enter the inlet and travel in a material-entraining current within the conduit and out the outlet, said covering means being so constructed that said air current flows through it whether in covering or uncovering position.

8. In an apparatus for applying material such as powder or flock, the combination with a material container provided with a slot, a conduit separate from the container and provided with a portion having a slot extending lengthwise thereof and adapted to be aligned with the container slot, means for removably supporting said conduit so that the slots are in alignment and for forcing the slotted portion of the conduit into contact with the slotted portion of the container, and means for transferring material from the container to the conduit by way of the aligned slots, of means separate from'the transferring means for discharging said material from the conduit.

9. In an apparatus for'applying material such as powder or flock, the combination with a container for the material, a conduit provided with,

an air inlet, an outlet, and a passage communicating with the container, means in the container for transferring material to the conduit by way of the passage, a single means located in the conduit for normally covering the passage and a portion of the air inlet, and means for moving the covering means so that the passage is uncovered to permit the transfer of material into the conduit and so that the air inlet is moreopen than normally,- of means for. creating a condition of unbalanced air pressure between the inlet and the outlet of the conduit to cause atmospheric air to enter the inlet and travel in a material-entraining current within the conduit and out the outlet.

WAYNE B. THOMPSON.

CERTIFICATE-OF cQRRECTIoIL atent No- March 26, 191m.

7 WAYNE B. THOMPSON. 1

It 1e herebi; certified that error appears in the printed specification 4 .of the above numbered patent requiring'cerrectipn-as follows: Page -6 second. celumn, line 58, 011111118; before "so" insert portion-q and that the "said Letters)" Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may cbnfoim to the reco rd of the case tinlthe Patent Office.

Signeda nd sealed this 7th day of May, A. D. 191m.

- I Henry Van Arsdale, (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

